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Can you simply add text to a background?
This thread has 12 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at 20:08
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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This is for a T2-C.

I'd like to make a WAIT page that is so dumb that it just sits there for ten seconds. The thing is, I can't figure out how to take the basic background and add text to it. I can put text onto any button in the database, but I can't figure out how to just put text onto a background.

I haven't progressed beyond plain old Paint for graphics, and that doesn't allow transparency, so I don't even know how to grab my background, store it as a jpg, then add text to it.

Any ideas? Now on site, but I'll be back tomorrow or Friday.

Thanks, everrbuddy!
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
OP | Post 2 made on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at 20:12
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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Ask, but don't stop looking.

I found some labels near the end of the Unreal list. They are single words with transparent backgrounds, and I can stretch them out once I've taken them onto a panel.

Done.

edit: Not so fast. The words that are on those buttons are not text. They are part of a jpg or whatever, so I can't replace them with my own text.

Has anybody made simply a transparent button with nothing on it?

Edit: you grab a button, then edit it by deleting the bitmap. Then you have nothing, but you can expand it by grabbing the edges, it's transparent, and you can add text to it.

Now, Done.

Last edited by Ernie Bornn-Gilman on January 20, 2010 20:24.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 3 made on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at 20:46
anyhomeneeds
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Ernie, I love how you figure it out yourself, and all before any of us can chime in to help you out.
"You can't fix stupid."
Post 4 made on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at 21:05
brucelee
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You can also draw transparent buttons from scratch. Just set the fill color (using the tool bar) to "Transparent", and set the line width (also on the tool bar) to (none).

Bruce
Post 5 made on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at 21:30
AndyM
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On January 20, 2010 at 21:05, brucelee said...
You can also draw transparent buttons from scratch. Just set the fill color (using the tool bar) to "Transparent", and set the line width (also on the tool bar) to (none).

Bruce

That's the way I do it... this way your not limited to size.
Post 6 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 03:23
Oz AVI
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On January 20, 2010 at 21:05, brucelee said...
You can also draw transparent buttons from scratch. Just set the fill colour (using the tool bar) to "Transparent", and set the line width (also on the tool bar) to (none).

Bruce

Second that, I also set the 'Pressed' state to transparent as well.
OP | Post 7 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 03:33
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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On January 20, 2010 at 21:05, brucelee said...
You can also draw transparent buttons from scratch. Just set the fill color (using the tool bar) to "Transparent", and set the line width (also on the tool bar) to (none).

Bruce

I don't see how to draw a button from scratch to begin with. How do you do that?

I've seen the fill color in the window that comes up when you edit the button (can't remember the exact function, but it showed unpressed and pressed states of the button), but I don't remember seeing line width.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 8 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 08:49
AndyM
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All of the actions we've talked about can be done from the tool bar at the bottom left (assuming you haven't moved it). The Pencil is the icon for building a custom sized box.

Last edited by AndyM on January 21, 2010 09:09.
Post 9 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 11:42
JoeyCes
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Just add a background image (240x320) and make it a button, then you can add any text you want to it.

While the macro is running, you cannot press the button, so the end user would never know it is a button, it just looks like a background with text.
OP | Post 10 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 18:02
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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Joey,
it's a maxim that seems to always prove true: when someone says "just" or "simply," they are about to leave out about seventeen crucial facts.

How do you "just add a background image"? When I just do that, yeah, I can modify it.

You bring up another thing: I'd like to use the artwork from a button to provide a label for a page, but not have it click like the other buttons if they hit it by accident. Is there a way to use a graphic identical to a button in the gallery, but have it just be a label?
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 11 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 21:56
brucelee
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On January 21, 2010 at 18:02, Ernie Bornn-Gilman said...
You bring up another thing: I'd like to use the artwork from a button to provide a label for a page, but not have it click like the other buttons if they hit it by accident. Is there a way to use a graphic identical to a button in the gallery, but have it just be a label?

Sure. There's no such thing as a "label", but you can take any button and make it not respond to presses. Just drag the image you want onto your remote, then right-click on it and choose "Edit Properties". Check the "Inactive" box on the General tab and you are all set.

Bruce
Post 12 made on Thursday January 21, 2010 at 22:20
JoeyCes
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Ernie,

There are several ways to add a background image/button.

One way, is to drag and drop a properly sized (240x320) graphic file (JPG, PNG, GIF) directly on to the remote in the editor. This will automatically drop the graphic on the remote as a button. This image might be a graphic file that you have on your desktop, or one you might find from the net. You can treat this now like a button.

Another way, would be to use one of the provided backgrounds from the templates, for example the blue background from the "Glass" template. If you hold the ALT key and drag the file from the Library Browser over to your remote, it will place the image as a button instead of a background. This works for any properly sized graphic in the templates.

Either of these options will give you a full screen button that you can manipulate the text to your liking.

Now, if you want to make any button be a label, but not have that button respond to button presses, you would select the button you want to use, right click, go to the properties of that button, and under "button options", you would check the box for "Inactive".

You could also add custom text to a page that does not have anything on it. Give this a shot, it may be what you want.

Create a blank page, name it, then go to the lower left hand corner where the "tools" are. Select the "pencil" tool, and create a square box as big as you want on your blank page in the editor.

Next to those tools, over to the right a little bit, still on the bottom of the editor window, you will see a small button with 3 lines, this is the "line width" option, this will adjust the size of the border around the new "text area". You could leave it, or remove it.

Next, further to the right on the bottom, you will see the "color" options, and the last icon (paint bucket) will let let you choose "transparency" as an option so that you can have the text box become transparent and allow only the text to be seen.

Type in your text, and you're finished. You will end up with custom text box that you can use as a label, please wait page, or welcome screen.

Hope that helps.

Joey
OP | Post 13 made on Friday January 22, 2010 at 00:39
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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I really am as ignorant about this as I seem to be:
On January 21, 2010 at 22:20, JoeyCes said...
Ernie,

There are several ways to add a background image/button.

One way, is to drag and drop a properly sized (240x320) graphic file (JPG, PNG, GIF) directly on to the remote in the editor. This will automatically drop the graphic on the remote as a button. This image might be a graphic file that you have on your desktop, or one you might find from the net. You can treat this now like a button.

So I have ID tiled and sharing the screen with Windows Explorer showing the file I want to use. I click on the file in Windows Explorer, drag it to the remote's screen, and let go. ID opens the file and shows it. Right?

Another way, would be to use one of the provided backgrounds from the templates, for example the blue background from the "Glass" template. If you hold the ALT key and drag the file from the Library Browser over to your remote, it will place the image as a button instead of a background. This works for any properly sized graphic in the templates.

Cool news to me!

The rest of this needs the real try to understand it. Thanks so much. That's the way I need instructions, and the way I write them (so, of course, it must be the right way....).

Hope that helps.

I'm quite sure it will, A LOT!
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw


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